To a Point
by Yearning Moon
Summary: It has been years since she has seen the frigid land of the Arctic. And yet, standing there with him by her side, she doesn't feel the coils of mortality restraining her. No immense mountain nor any blood-seeking creature could stand in her way. And from that moment, she knows that she would be beside him wherever he goes.
1. The Touch of Time

**Chapter 1: The Touch of Time**

The world I used to know was always a place of innumerable possibilities for adventure. There was always a new mountain to climb, or a new group of people to guide, or a new place to discover. But whenever I finished the trek to the highest peak, the adrenaline I felt would always dissipate before fading away with each breath I took. The unhappiness I found within my path only urged me to continue on.

Something within my heart yearned for a touch of something unattainable, and new, but I always ignored it. To listen to my heart before my mind, would always end up in heartbreak. And yet, my mind chose to follow a path where my heart studiously lingered ahead.

It has been years since the "great accident" had occurred, but my memories of such a thing have yet to fade away. The people's faces that I had once conversed with upon the expedition have become fragmented, and are only sewn together when I decide to reread the old articles of their deaths and how there was only one lucky survivor, me. The sadness of their passing never haunted me for than a couple of months. I knew that life can end in an instant, especially when guiding inexperienced, or experienced, climbers past the point of safety. There was always death to counteract the lives within the world, and their deaths were no different than those from the expedition.

But what had haunted me to this very day, was his eyes.

I had never seen a more profound nor breathtaking shade of amber combined with a glint of intelligence. Those eyes that had watched me skitter across the floors of the pyramid for a way out, also followed me as I miraculously transformed from a meek prey to a cautious predator under the guidance of their owner.

If I were to close my eyes and listen, I could still hear his near silent footsteps, and soft purring before me and feel the intense heat that his own species seems to radiate with. The musky scent of his smooth hide would envelop me as I recall the instances where we would be forced to endure each others' close proximity. The touch of the said-hide was scorching compared to the frigid air that seemed to encase the whole temple.

During those moments, my mind seems to attach its fate for existence to the palm of the hand of the alien hunter. The fear of death still lurked within my mind, but the fear of the survival of the serpents became overwhelming such as my resolve to survive. Between the skirmishes with the serpents and finding the way out, I instinctively marked the hunter as mine. His life soon became a priority as he somehow brought out a part of me that I had never expected to find in the depths of the labyrinth, hope.

The moment that Sebastian was dragged away from my fingertips, the possibilities of my existence plummeted within my mind.

And yet, the mercy that the young hunter had shown me as I gave back his weapon, only fueled my will to hope.

Consciously, I touch the mark on my face. Scar.

A bittersweet smile fell upon my lips as I recall the moment his eyes had met mine. I could swear that there was a spark of something between the two of us that the world could not comprehend. The pain that followed the marking upon my face felt like nothing I've ever felt before, but I knew that I would trust the soul that held mine tightly in his claws through whatever he would do.

The touch between our eyes again, torn a part of my heart away, as I subconsciously knew that I would never again have what we had at that moment.

Tragically, whatever that could've been said between our differing dialect soon fell into the pit of the abyss as the mother of the serpents rose to seek vengeance for her fallen offspring.

The battle itself was hard to decipher as I was running high on adrenaline to survive. A memory of a breathtaking leap from Scar stood stock still in my mind. The dexterity that he had shown in maneuvering his body to an angle where he could pierce the neck of the queen astounds me. For a being as large as he was to move as fluid as the wind slicing the trees, sends a chill up my spine. And yet, no matter how marvelous his skills and talent are, he is still a mortal. The moment the serpent's tail pierce through his body, my soul cried out in anguish.

The painful remorse in his eyes yanked another chunk of my heart apart as his body was lifted towards the blades of death. But then, the serpent queen fell to her doom by the gigantic iron separating vat, ending her short reign of terror upon the Earth. But my mind was only set on one entirely different being, who was quickly bleeding out on the cold white canvas. As I knelt before him, I knew that my life would never be the same again. His soft chattering breath seems to echo through the morose wind and I leaned down to grasp his hand in mine.

A soft sputtering purr vibrated through his chest as I sat and desperately tried to stifle my sobs of sorrow. Scar's unoccupied weak clawed hand rose and gently traced the scar upon my cheeks, before sullenly falls to the ground and silence envelops the land.

I bowed my head in grief and had I been able to, I would've screamed the unfairness of it all to the banshees of the Arctic.

A crackling sound forced my attention from the un-moving body of Scar to the looming figure of another hunter. The huge size and white coloration of this hunter showed the age and experience that he had surpassed. The wisdom hidden behind his hooded eyes sent a shiver through me.

Within seconds, more hunters seemingly appear out of thin air and a huge entrance to a spacecraft hovers behind them. Their appearance nearly made me step back, but I remembered how the hunters only valued strength. I stood straight as I could and stared up into the eyes of the ancient one as he stared right back with undistinguished curiosity.

Without a word, four hunters broke away from the formation and carried Scar's body towards the ship.

A clicking noise tore my gaze from the disheartening procedure to the old one before me. He reached out his arm grasped out an object. I slowly reached my hand out to accept it. The chill that radiated from the object seeps into my skin. The metallic sheen from the object reflected my dark gaze. I looked back up to the being before me in gratitude.

The old one gave a short nod of, what I had assumed, respect, before majestically turning around and strode back onto the spaceship with his brethren.

The moment that the ship left my vision and fled into the skies above, I stoically began my march towards the snowcat that was still operational. The silvery wind began to play with the waves of my hair avidly. And at that moment, I knew that it was the last time that I would ever see the snow be so silent and somber.

As I stood there watching the Hunter's Moon reflection the sun's radiance, I heard a familiar purring noise.

My eyes snap open and my memories leave my mind in a smooth flush.

I pivot my body into a cautious swiftly search around the room for anything that looks different.

Once I have searched around and came to a conclusion that there is nothing out of the ordinary, I stride towards my drawer and meticulously unlocking the mechanism that holds the revered gift within. Once the lock opens, I reach inside for the innocent looking object and carefully remove it.

I had memorized all of the grooves and contours of the object a few months back. The cutting sound of a sharp object reaches my ear before silencing. The object within my grasp is no longer a duplicate for a tin can, but rather a menacing spear. I had also taken time to teach myself the ways to handle such a weapon when the need for it arise. But for now, I would only hide it in a safe place. The spear sheathes itself by the simple pressure on a hidden switch.

Before I could put the spear away, a red light shines through a little hole from inside the handle, leaving me momentarily awestruck. The beam flashes brightly before disappearing. I look up at the vanity mirror above my drawer and my own dumbfounded reflection stares back.

* * *

 **So like, I had this story in head for like years, but I never tried to write it out until now. I would love it if you guys would review and tell me your thoughts on it! Have a great day everyone!~ :3**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Aliens or Predators or Aliens vs. Predator Universe.(not jk)  
**

 **I am only using them for my malicious deeds... MUAAAHAHAHAAHAHAH! (jk)**


	2. Peace Denied

Chapter 2: Peace Denied

3rd POV

Inside a house on the mountain ranges of Colorado, a beautiful mocha-skinned woman sits placidly upon her lavishing sofa. The subtle warmth that is emitted by the fireplace soothes her lonely soul within the spacious room. But the lingering touches of the warmth provided by the fire no longer keeps her within reality as her mind is practically billions of miles away.

Straightening herself, Alexa, also known as Lex, sighs and weaves her hand through her smooth curls before standing up from her spot and walking towards a clear glass door on the other side of the room.

'The snowfall is late this year'. She summarizes as she diligently watches the clear sky above for a sign of precipitation and once more, the Hunter's Moon gazes back at her. The moon seems to reflect a part of herself as it continues to shine brightly despite the dark haunting background.

Ever since Antarctica, the Weyland industry has kept their distance. As soon as she was paid, she was excused with the typical flirty guards in uniform who had no idea about what she had gone through. The whole ordeal had been taxing as the evidence of the incident has been erased and all the families had been paid handsomely to silence their protests for their loss. Or so she has been snobbishly told.

Right after she had received her pay, she packed up all her stuff and made a quick move to an old house in Colorado where she used to visit with her father when she was younger. The house had aged terribly and was nearly torn down by the locals who did have not want to spend money on such a broken-down building. After she bought the place, she remodeled everything and added small homely touches of her own as the years passes by.

Her gaze turns back to the still glowing moon.

Below the tip of the moon, there is a small cozy town some short miles from her home. But its closeness as some sort of civilization holds a loose leash between the enticing wilderness of the mountains and the chaos within her mind.

Lex turns the lock sign to unlock before gently pushing the glass the door open.

In the distance, she can see a small anomaly. The city has been lit up. Never had she seen such an occurrence in all her years living here.

An ominous warm gust of wind blows softly through her curls.

Her gaze suddenly widens in surprise as she spots four military Humvees driving at an extremely fast pace up the only road to her lonely abode.

Life has its moments where you begin to see the pieces of its intricate puzzle coming together. And in this distinct puzzle, Lex concludes that the government isn't quite done with her as she had hoped.

Judging by the distance between her home and the approaching vehicles, Lex estimates that she has about 10 minutes before her peace would be rudely disrupted at 1 a.m. in the morning.

Hurrying from her position on her balcony, she quickly opens her closet doors and reaches in to grab a pair of warm, yet unusually casual looking military pants and a bulky gunmetal colored jacket. A large hidden pocket on her left thigh is given a sharp retractable knife while her right thigh is equipped with a Desert Eagle handgun. She then slips on a pair of mountain boots and tightens them up.

Lex reaches further in the closet and rips open a hidden box of supplies and stuffs a surplus number of bars of food into her jackets' inner pockets and two water bottles on the outer pockets of her pants. Before she goes to open the door for her "guests", she stops midway to look back at the impassive alien weaponry that she had left on top of the drawer from her previous inspection.

A loud banging sound reaches her ear from downstairs distracting her from her thoughts. Quickly shaking herself out of a trance, Lex sprints from her frozen position to the drawer and carefully grabs the intricate weapon with deft hands and hiding it inside the same pocket space as her hidden knife. An even louder noise erupts from downstairs, signaling the destruction of her expensively redesigned door.

Holding back a grimace, Lex readies herself for their approach from her closed, locked doors.

Time seems to crawl as her nerves begin to frazzle around the edges. And then the sounds of heavy, yet swift moving footsteps steals her next breath. They were moving in near uniform precision as she can hear the other doors in her house being slammed open. The open balcony doors give way for a cold draft in just as the locked door in front of her shakes violently. In a matter of seconds, her room is filled up with eight well-equipped military personnel. They all had their gunpoint towards her. Then the man in the front lowers his gun.

"Are you Alexa Woods?" His Canadian accent is clear as well as his disbelief at the state she is in.

Looking down at herself, she notices that she looks like a casual trouble-making teenager. Thinking quickly, Lex deducts that she can either play innocence and act confused and ask why they are in her private home or she can just play it their way and follow their orders. But looking towards the others' impassive faces, it seems that her only choice is to play along.

"That depends on who's asking and the reasoning behind entering my home uninvited." Her wary brown gaze sweeps over a few who fidgeted at her speech before going back to the lead male.

He now has a strange light in his eyes and a slight twitch of movement beside his lips. A sense of foreboding reaches Lex before his next words confirmed her suspicion.

"We are here from the Weyland Industries to escort you to a site in South America as an invitation from Mr. Weyland. And we do not take no for an answer." There seems to be blood rushing to her ears as she hears that the company that had started the whole chaotic mess, that she now calls her life, is forcing her to leave the warmth of her abode.

Grimacing internally at the literal phrase, "held at a gunpoint", Lex knows that whatever that they are "inviting" her to do is not going to be anywhere in the visible sights of righteousness, but rather for the mere profit of some rich guy. As defeated as she is, Lex refuses to show weakness towards these people that represent the corrupted company that had recruited her on the previous gruesome journey.

Staring straight ahead into the eyes of the relaxed soldier, she gives him a firm nod and receives one in return. The other soldiers around him seem to slightly relax before jostling from their positions to move aside for the athletic woman through.

They form a single file line with her positioned in the middle of eight soldiers. The trip downstairs reveals what she already expected. They had ravaged her place for anything extraordinary. But unluckily for them, the only time she is relinquishing her grip on her "gift" is when she is cold and long dead.

The trek to the cars is cold as the wind begins to blow even harder from the downdraft caused by the high peaks of the mountains beside the house. Lex spares a short glance backward to her home, before marching reluctantly into the car.

The car ride is silent as they drove to a private airspace nearly 4 hours away. Lex knows that they can drug her at any time during the trip, but she still couldn't resist a short nap to keep her head clear and ready. Waking up from her swift, but refreshing power nap, she pretends to be in deep sleep and eavesdrop on the unsuspecting soldiers. A soft feminine voice first reaches her now alert ears.

"... Said an apparition roams these ranges. You guys think that it could be the yeti?" Rough yet quiet laughter answers her question before another feminine, yet lower octave voice replies.

"Dunno. But if we do find him, we should bring it to Hark's room, since he especially loves the 'special ones'." Harsh laughter rings out and loud explicit are thrown around. Probably from the offended Hark.

"Hey, shut up. Wake her up would ya? We are within the perimeter of the 'port." The cold voice of the leader of the group manages to crumble the group's almost joyful atmosphere as they became instantly silent.

A hand soon grabs Lex's shoulder and gives it a firm shake. Luckily for Lex, she has mastered the calm peaceful poker face and in turn, made herself look like she had a decent nap. She turns in her seat and stares at the stoic faces of the soldiers. Now that she has a closer look at them, she can see that they all look around her age, except for the older leader who is whispering to himself. There are three women and three men.

Each of the women has either a short haircut or some buzz cuts of a sort. The men, on the other hand, has assorted styles of short hair, except for one with a bald head. Lex can see that despite the connections that they seem all seem to share; though some of them are more withdrawn. A brunette with short bangs covering his left eye catches her gaze and gives her a lewd grin before a short jab from the buzz-cut blonde next to him leaves him muttering unsavory phrases.

A dark-skinned woman across from him gives him a disapproving eye roll before turning back to whisper to the red-headed male next to her.

The obvious closeness between the two makes Lex conclude that the two are friends. And the way they both have identical small smiles on their faces and their hands seem to touch one another frequently, clearly indicates that they are together.

Staring at the two's interaction creates an unexpected bloom of pain inside of Lex and she quickly looks back to the commander of the squad. There is a sense of tiredness that glooms over him that she can't quite place. He hangs his head between his legs, holding his hands in front.

He suddenly looks up as if he senses her watching him. His piercing blue eyes seem to stare at her as he scrutinizes her facial expressions. A familiar glint resides in his gaze as the staring continues.

The car suddenly slows down to a halt signaling the end of their trip and their contest.

Lex turns away to look at the extremely tinted windows finding no answer to the question of her location. When everyone files out the Humvee quickly, she moves to follow just as fast.

Besides the four Humvees is a medium sized jet with a legible 'Wetland Industries' logo imprinted on its flank. The jet is loaded up with cargo and military-dressed people.

Through her peripheral vision, Lex can see people, from the three Humvees trailing hers', dragging their baggage up the steps of the jet. It would seem to her that her surveillance of the area is not appreciated as she is lightly shoved towards the runway. Lex turns around slightly to throw the woman an unamused look before marching forward.

After being ushered to the middle seat of the row, Lex forces herself to hold her aggression on an even tighter grip. The rude and heartless treatment that she is receiving from her 'captors' is rubbing her independent soul in the worst way.

Being seated in the back between two flirtatious men for hours now, only aggravates her even further as they take her as a type of entertainment to pass the time. Their cocky behavior reminds her of the men who refused to look at her as a viable guide during the Antarctic expedition. Before she could delve deeper into her memories, the jet shudders to signal its preparation to ascent.

Lex breathes deeply as she focuses on her will to ignore the men asking her questions about her love life. However, the moment that they mention the Antarctic expedition, Lex sits straight up surprising the two at her speed and peeved expression.

"Perhaps you two have been blind or severely impaired in some aspect, but I would prefer to be alone. And maybe your captain would like to see how professional you both have been in front of a 'guest'." Lex spits out while turning left and right to glare at both men. The instant she mentions their leader, the two loses their flirtatious expression for ones of distaste. When one of the two opens his mouth to retort, his partner makes 'stop' signals with his hands before turning away from them both. The blonde on her left huffs before also turning the other way.

Breathing away her overpowering aggravation, Lex relaxes before suddenly flinching in surprise. Her hands shake slightly as she reaches out to touch the object in her thigh pocket. Her fingers trail slowly along the alien weaponry noticing the warmth it is giving off in slight waves.

Lex quickly looks up and around to see if anyone has noticed before reaching in to grab the weapon out. A bright flash of red light flares out before fading away just as quick as before. She then stuffs the weapon into her pocket as fast as lighting before the blonde on her right turns to look at her impassive expression in confusion. He gives her another look over.

"You better not be taking pictures, Missy. Or else we would have to strip you down and take away your precious camera." He added with a wink before looking back out the window. A look to her left reveals that his friend is knocked out cold.

Mentally throwing up prayers to whatever gods exist out there, Lex mentally preps herself for whatever the future holds within its greasy grasp. And then the plane starts its descent from the foreboding sky.

* * *

~ SORRY ALL YOU LOVELY FOLLOWERS! As you have seen, I am NOT a consistent writer and my interest of writing comes and goes like rain in the desert. I will continue with writing and updating both of my stories, but the process is not consistent. So please bear with me! And yes, if you guys haven't guessed it already. I am an Alexa x Scar trash and I am not afraid to admit it! *waves heart banner around* And you all should know the disclaimer by now, but if not then… I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT RANDOM OC's THAT I COME UP WITH TO MOVE THE PLOT ALONG. See you all next chapter! ~

Replies:

CJ-Twilight – Dawww thank you, but yes, I will write more!

Tenfangirl – Yeaaaa I have a concreate idea of where this will lead to.

Mariah – NOPE! *winks*

lilykitty99 – I promise to not make this a one shot 😊

equipagan & thedarkgodoflies – Tada! New chapter!

predator1701 – I shall try my best!


	3. Awake and Alive

**Days Earlier:**

 **Unknown 1st POV**

A strong punch flies toward the right side of my face-sends me reeling sideways before I quickly roll back onto the heels of my feet and a swift retaliating feint to the left before delivering a heavy uppercut to my opponent's chin. The devastating impact sends his body flying before hitting the training deck with a loud smash. I then rush forward to put my entire weight on top of his body-pinning him down. I shove my claws into the hide of his neck and release a fearsome roar into his face. Slick neon blood gushes out from the jagged wound. The offender's mandibles twitch feebly before he slowly lowers his head in submission.

Shrugging off the ache on my shoulder, I rise from his battered body, while ignoring the roaring crowd around me, and strides out of the kehrite.

Once in my dark weaponry room, I take note of my bloodied armor and weapons. Tapping slightly at my ceremonial dah'Nagara, I purr softly as I remember the last time I had a chance to use it for a craft other than bloodshed. I continue into my private room and grabs a cleaning cloth on a nearby metallic shelf. After a couple of minutes of cleaning the blood off my prized weapon, the smell of light sulfur alerts me to the sound of an approaching pair of feet. I turn around from my cleansing and immediately kneels to the ground as I recognize who stood behind me.

Pauin'r, the clan leader, growls, spurring me to quickly rise from my submissive position. He scrutinizes my station silently before speaking. "I see you have been working hard Sk'arr. It seems that your misgivings for the past have been forgotten for the moment as your standing within the ship begins to rise."

My posture did not change as I reply back just as calmly. "I wish to be able to rise from my questionable station and rejoin my noble hunt brothers again."

The sizable silver beads of Pauin'r's dreadlock jingles softly as his body slightly reverberates in humor. His piercing grey eyes show a hint of pride as he steps forward to grasp my shoulder tightly before releasing.

"Your bearer would be proud. Her last and youngest youngling has succeeded in his trial to become an adult." My stance stiffens slightly before loosens. My head looks down in acknowledgment. Pauin'r then strides away with his red cape swishing silently behind him.

I release a deep sigh before stretching out my neck muscles. Turning back to my work, I begin to diligently hammer out the dents embedded by my opponents from the kehrite.

Today is the last day of my assessment back to my blooded ranking. By the end of the week, there will be a search and destroy mission on the Ooman planet for any weapons left behind carelessly. My thoughts suddenly took a dangerous turn to a tiny feminine figure wearing a red outer layer. She stares up at me with her defiant deep brown eyes unwavering with its depth and intelligence. Her unbound locks of hair bounce behind her with every steady breath she takes. My hand subconsciously reaches out to touch her smooth placid face.

But before I could make contact, a high pitch sound from my door drags me off my dissipating memory. A snarl is hanging on the edge of my mandibles as I walk swiftly out the room to the door lock and manual input my password that only the clan leader and abirators and override. I then stare stoically up towards a familiar smirking face.

I reach forward to shake the towering figure's shoulders and she reciprocates with much more enthusiasm.

"Sk'arr! It has been forever my little zabin! Where are Kel'tik and Cho'p'ir? Your aunt is hoping they would have responded to her messages by now." The 8-foot tan-colored female playfully jostles me into my room and I only release a deep sigh in response. Ever since I reached my adolescent years, Tr'aya has been doggedly pestering (favoring) me. But her favors never got me free of any bad hunt mistakes. She thoroughly believes in learning through mistakes-which can sometimes end up as death to some.

She truly was unlike any other females I've heard of from the other males aboard the mothership. The pheromones of others have no effect on her, but her womb is still intact and viable. Whenever the breeding season rolls by she would travel far away from the home planet and avoid any non-related males as much as she could.

Despite her clear distaste for males, except for me and our cousins, she does hold a strong connection with me and a deep sort of affection to another female hunter aboard the ship. Her mystique outwardly affectionate personality is an intricate illusion of an extremely calculative and vicious warrior beneath. Her well-known favorite weapons are her long and sharp Kiande Amedha attached claws and a long polearm balanced with a poisonous Gr'ex'in. However, she is not just an honorable warrior, she is also one of the most prestigious arbitrators in the clan ship.

She stops beside my trophy case and turns to stare into my eyes. Her smirk reverse into a small grin as she notices a large and polished skull of a warrior Kiande Amedha displayed. Dark thoughts seem to grip her as her eyes suddenly turns cold and she loses her smile. "They never made it back, did they?"

I had expected her joyless voice and answers back calmly. "Kel'tik made it a goal to avenge Cho'p'ir, but failed to make it out of the hunt blooded as his prey out-maneuvered him." Tr'aya sighs mournfully before looking back to the trophy on the pedestal. The unfamiliar look on her face makes me wary of her next words.

"You know, I've been hearing things for the past years. An unblooded hunter came home-nearly killed by a queen Kiande Amedha- and carrying her parasitic offspring. The said-offspring survived, but what is strange is that the hunter lived through his disgrace and should-be death."

Her rare gold eyes scrutinize my placid expression before she reaches out to touch the skull-I restrain the urge to retaliate at her coarse action at my trophy-and continues just as ominously.

"The hybrid fell to the Ooman planet and a highly honored arbitrator was sent to clean up the mess."

She stops petting the skull.

"The great Wu'lf fell on that mission. My own teacher and past caretaker."

She whips her head back towards mine and steps right into my face roaring.

"WHO IS THE IMMORTAL PAUKING COWARD THAT HIDES HIS C'JIT HIDE ON THIS SHIP! HE TOOK THE LIFE OF MY MENTOR AND FATHER FIGURE AND LIVES TO TELL ABOUT IT. TO THIS HE MUST PAY!"

Her blood-lust pheromone distorts the air with pent-up rage and I instinctively purr to soothe her while keeping my guard up. Her words hit a mark on me, but I know better than to lie to her.

"Hunt Sister Tr'aya. Calm yourself. It was I that failed to get the abomination to be removed in time. My hunt brothers had all fallen and there were too many hosts available for the insects. However, my partner and I survived the ordeal, but I fell at the last moment of the battle as the great pauking lou-dte kale queen pierce her tail through by back. Wu'lf stood strong during his last moments against the abomination and never once did he run from his fate. The last footage sent from his mask shows that he resorted to the last possible choice for the containment by setting off the akrei-non."

Tr'aya stands frozen, but her stare pierces deeply into my soul. The atmosphere loosens up, but I still refuse to back down as it would show that I would be the coward that she and many other accuses me of. The fear of death they say is what cowards hold within. But I didn't fear death and I never will. No-I fear the thought of never seeing **HER** again.

Tr'aya's intense stare finally weakens and she looks off into the distance. She slowly transitions to a relaxed stance and the heated pheromones surrounding us dissipates as with my soft purring.

"Who is this partner you speak of? The hunt was only to be of three unbloods. I checked." Her hiss comes out curious, but her hooded eyes hide an unseen dagger tipped in toxin.

I look to the side and shakes my dreadlocks before replying in a somber hiss.

"An Ooman female."

Tr'aya lets out a surprised growl and looks down at me. I dare lift my gaze to meet hers, while silently praising Paya, and sees only confusion.

"A female Ooman? How is that possible? I've only met male Oomans who have joined other clans on their hunts and their strengths are merely a fraction of ours. Not to mention that their females are said to be weaker and frailer than the males."

Her body posture has completely changed to an openly curious and unguarded. I slowly follow her suit and shifts my stance into a more comfortable pose.

"I know that from the general database. But I believe that she is one of a kind as the others she had traveled with showed less bravery and skill than she did by wielding a pup's fishing spear and annihilating Kianda Amedhas."

Her eyes suddenly light up and I quickly mentally backtrack to find what I had said that intrigued her so much. I shift uncomfortably on the back of my heels as I recollect on the tone I had used when mentioning the female Ooman.

"I see. Not only are you a coward, but also a perverted ic'jit…" Her speech cuts off and she shakes her head in an irritated manner before glaring at the trophy once more. "I suppose that my avoidance of the hunting trials took up all the time I could be antagonizing you for your crimes. But then again, I am not Centanu. He and Paya must have something in mind for the both of you. They let you lived through this ordeal and even let you keep your honor intact."

She shakes her head gruffly at me before turning around and walking through the door. But before she steps completely outside, she growls darkly.

"Mark my words dear Sk'arr. If you step out of line again, I will not hesitate to bring you to Centanu myself. But for now, ready yourself. A hunt is starting soon and you are to lead a group of youngbloods to find our missing weapons and destroy the evidence the Oomans have of us. The elders and I will be on a small dropship nearby. Do not fail me." Her lean sandy body disappears through the closing doors and I clench my fist in anger.

None of this would've happened if I had just paid more attention to my surroundings. The thought of the dishonorable Oomans stealing our technology leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

I look back at the grimacing skull she was rudely touching. If she had been any male Yautja then her fingers wouldn't have been able to touch the trophy without splattering its digits all over the floor.

This could only end badly. I know that Tr'aya is not interested in me for the concept of reproduction or even the companionship during hunts. But I do know for a fact that she is not obligated to keep her jaws shut to the other females that she meets. Perhaps the reason she meets up with me was to scrutinize my response to what answers she already has.

Female Yautjas are known to be interested in strong and level-headed males. Males that tend to be on the more rule-binding side of the spectrum. However, some females prefer their mates to be more 'unique' in a sense that he has fought off a worthy adversary through sly tricks and survived with barely a hairbreadth away from dhi'ki-de.

But then again, Tr'aya isn't like any other males or females I know of. She is independent as well as manipulative in ways that associate with the mind of a Kiande Amedha queen. There was a deeper reason for her to time her approach so close to the end of my admission period. However, the questioning of that reason doesn't hold a steady front in my mind as a more perilous situation rear its head.

Tr'aya knows of **HER.**

Suddenly, I feel extremely disgruntled and angry. I was once considered the most level-headed of the three unblooded the was sent to the trial and yet, now I am impatient and irritable. The ongoing question of my adulthood is still in place as I have not yet successfully sired a pup with any female.

The rush that had once spurred me into the fray now fizzles with disinterest as I struggle to understand where my lust for children and prestige had gone. And then it came back to me in a blink of a moment. First was the brightness and vastness of the 'snow', as the Oomans would call it, among every speck of land. Then the ancient temple where the hunt was executed. And finally, the moment that the last Ooman dares to stand up against my imposing figure. Her body posture held a bewitching dichotomy of fear and courage. Despite her short stature, her spirit emitted a flame more brazen than the brightest sun.

After Kel'tik fell, I knew that I needed some sort of assistance for me to make it back to the entrance, and being less prideful than my tribemates, I lend her the benefit of the doubt as I armed her up with the basic necessities after her first kill. What I never expected was the bravery and determination that flourishes with each step she took by my side.

The battle against the Kiande Amedha stills holds a searing sensation in my mind as I recall the Ooman's witty tactic to tie the queen's chain to the huge structure. Her face of pure relief shone brightly as she screams out her success. But when her expression suddenly morphed into one of horror, I decided that I prefer her face of elation rather than fear.

As strange as the concept was at the time, I couldn't think more about it as I was then incised by the queen's tail. The pain I felt was pushed aside as I fought against my fate for the last time. I let loose a roar, defying the slowly approaching head of the queen.

Her body being suddenly yanked away with her tail which tossed me into a whirlwind of white and cold. The world was silent after the Kiande Amedha's scream drowned out by the greedy grasping hands of the frigid water. But the sound of silence dissipated with the approaching pair of feet. I tiredly opens my eyes and stares into the dilated fearful eyes of the female Ooman. I growl the only word that comes into my mind before oblivion encases everything.

"Mei-jadhi."

Finally shaking my head from the past, I gently reach out to smooth my hand over the skull before walking away to the wall of weapons. There are strategies to plan out and priorities to go over. Even though my mind is now engrossed in the schematics before me, the presence of my kv'var mei-jadhi lingers at the back of my mind.

Okay! So this chapter is a bit crazy, but now we get to see where you-know-who has been. Not entirely proud of this chapter, but I gave it my best shot for all you peeps. Another chapter will be up by the end of the week! I swear I will make it up for the long wait! And again, just to be extra clear. **I do own any characters, except OC's that I made up to make this story go along.** And sorry for the inconvenience, but any words that you do not understand in Yautja(n?), are easily found on the internet! Anywhos see you all soon! 3

Replies:

Equipagan - Hehe! Yep! Definitely a 'yeti'~ ;)

Tenfangirl - Thank you for being consistent!

Wolfy7337 - Here you go~ And thank you for waiting!


	4. Nightmare Reborn

**Present Time:**

 **3rd POV**

The hardest part about being well-prepared for a situation is when the actual situation you are in is not what you have prepared yourself for. In Lex's problematic case, the humid mist that constricts around her heavily-dressed body gives off a vibe that she is not meant to be here in more than just the physical sense. Her body is practically perspiring a river of its own. And worse yet, her 'danger' meter is going off softly in the back of her mind as she takes in the lush scenery around her.

So used to being the lead guide, she struggles to hold her wits to herself as she is led along by four soldiers in the front and two holding their rifles steady behind her. The way the group is moving resembles a hunting party. The people in front continuously surveys their surroundings with a sharp eye and nothing is left unchecked by the people in the back.

Their uncertain postures leave Lex on edge and she places her hand on her weapon hidden in her pocket. She also bends her knees slightly to give her an easier position to maneuver away from any approaching entities.

The trek started from the edge of the jungle during early waking hours of sunlight. The jet had descended upon a small airport that barely had any people nearby. The other groups of soldiers split up from the original six and disappeared into a clearing beyond the jungle's roots.

This group's anxious atmosphere suddenly breaks apart as a harsh screeching sound emits from the leader's watch. Everyone froze before they all relax. Lex keeps her wits to herself but continues to keep her guard up. The leader then holds up a hand signal which signifies stop and everyone halts their steps upon on the brush.

Lex hears something rustling nearby and whirls to the source with her hand clenched on the outer pocket of the hidden alien staff. She ignores a snort from the man behind her and continues to watch the lush scenery cautiously. Out of nowhere, their group is suddenly surrounded by a group of marines with a familiar wrist armor on each of their arms.

Lex restrains a gasp that threatens to ruin her calm facade. These people have the alien's camouflaged weaponry. A wave of uneasy rocks through her body as the implications hit her. **They know what happened at Bouvetoya!**

Forcing herself to stay calm through silent breathing techniques, she follows the conjoined group closely.

Within 15 minutes, the trek through the narrow trail ends at an open clearing with an old man-made trail winding downwards. But what catches Lex completely off guard is the gigantic pyramid that is sitting placidly in the middle of the gap. Around the pyramids are steel buildings and a wild assortment of military vehicles and personnel.

She follows the group with a curious eye at the noise of the camp. There are people who completely ignore her group, while others stare curiously at the overdressed woman in the middle. A sharp wolf whistle tores her attention from her inspection to a group of men in a tank top and matching military pants and boots. They all grin charmingly at her as their eyes hungrily size her up and down. Lex raises her eyebrow in disinterest before one of the men behind her shoves her forward.

Lex feels something primal stirs within her blood as she forces herself to withhold her anger. The leading group before her stops in front of a gigantic white tent that seems to exudes some sort of dangerous aura that makes Lex's hairs stand on edge.

A tanned man in a dark garnet suit strides out with two armed people walking respectfully behind him. His face is obscured by a pair of black glasses. His steps ended up in front of Lex's group and they converse silently for a few seconds before he chuckles before nodding and turning to Lex. He reaches out his hands to her in an oily-grease-to-pristine manner.

Lex eyes his hands warily and refuses to budge even as he takes his hand back to his side.

"Welcome to our campsite at an abandoned pyramid of a jungle in the hidden depths of Brazil. My name is Andre and I am the co-director of the campsite. I'm here to lead you to our sponsor and director. So please, if you will follow me, Ms. Woods." The soldiers that traveled with Lex looks as if they are sagging with relief that their 'burden' is no longer their responsibility. Each one of them marches off before dispersing into smaller groups.

Lex is left with following the co-director and his two bodyguards. Feeling the temperature drops slightly in the shade cast by the giant tent, Lex shrugs her jacket off her shoulders and ties it around her waist. She then wipes the beads of sweat of her forehead swiftly with the sleeves. Her steps continue with him before suddenly stuttering as she notices the tremendous hole in the middle of the tent.

No, not a hole, but an opening with old craggy stones leading downwards into an unforeseeable darkness. A surplus amount of people are moving back and forth around the cavern. Soft machinery noises and whispers take up the empty air.

Lex stops moving completely as she sees Andre retrieving a torch from one of the white-suited scientists nearby. Her heart pounds heavily within her chest as notes the awfully familiar object wedged within the scientist's other arm. It is a pale human-like coloration creature with a long tail and a body shape akin to a huge scorpion.

Suddenly, Andre is in front of her asking if she is alright and Lex almost lashed out at him with her gun. Lex looks back to the place where she saw the scientist and discovers her to be gone. Forcing herself to calm down once more, Lex affirms the charge of her condition.

Andre gives her a grotesque fraud smile and gestures her to follow him with a wave of his hand. The two bodyguards have moved behind her and she can almost feel their intense focus upon her. The steps down the pyramid are dusty and the sound of their footsteps creates a sense of foreboding.

According to Lex's reliable watch, the trek down the dark stairway is taking more than thirty minutes. Lex has already finished one of her water bottle and half of the second. She carefully feels the inside of her jacket's pockets to note the limited amount of food bars she has left.

The coldness of the gloom keeps the warmer temperature of the jungle above at bay. However, the crisp tendrils of air grasping at Lex's skin set her mind back to the recognizable aura of the Arctic. The whiplash of the harsh winds still sets her body to shiver. But a simple touch of warmth by a pair of golden eyes wakes her back to the present.

Within a blink of the eye, Lex hears the distant sounds of chaos reaches her ear. Andre takes off down the rest of the stairs and Lex instinctively follows as did the bodyguards behind her by the sound of their boisterous footsteps.

The stairs stop in front of a humongous cavern that has rubbles of demolished stones on each side of the opening. Looking swiftly at the floor, Lex can see that the stones were once part of a massive door. The cavern is lit up with torches that hang on its ancient walls. With her vision returning clearly to her, Lex once again stands awestruck. First, she hears a horrifying scream then she sees Andre and the two bodyguards rushing towards a group of armed people throwing and pulling metallic ropes over a struggling black monstrous form that tends to reappear in my dreams to recreate her most terrifying reality.

A single figure stands out from the huge battle of willpower. The figure is a woman with black hair held up in an elegant bun, stands tall in her black coat with her hands occupied with a tablet. Around her are soldiers are yelling instinctively at one another. With a cue from a distant soldier, sounds of gunfire explode throughout the cavern and Lex winces slightly at the noise. The horrendous creature lets out a single terrible scream that tempers off to prolonged hisses before silencing within a minute.

The group's demeanor cools down as everyone begins to drag the queen's body to a huge carrier that is placed beside the entrance. Andre's form is next to the one woman who has stopped with her work to look at him before her gaze moves to the entrance where Lex stood. Lex feels a shiver run down her spine as she can sense the dark gaze of the woman scrutinizing her from across the cavern.

The woman turns back to Andre and speaks to him with her arm waving at the dazed queen behind her in emphasis. She then strides towards Lex with the two familiar bodyguards diligently following her lead. Her quick approach makes Lex weary, but she keeps her caution to herself and walks to meet the woman halfway.

The woman gives Lex a wan smile and reaches her hand out, in which Lex makes no hesitation to grip strongly in return.

"My name is Shaina Yutani and I am pleased to meet your acquaintance, Ms. Woods. I also apologize for the rude transportation that we had to select for you. The trip needed to be a secret and swift." Her sharp eyes remind Lex of a viper. A viper that has no problem with injecting poison into its victim. Lex nods in understanding but keeps her tongue to herself for a bit longer.

Shaina looks at Lex in bemusement before continuing on. "And it seems like my prediction was correct about you. You see, your trip to Antarctica four years ago was well-documented and covered up by the Weyland industry. Due to mechanical errors, you are the only survivor of the huge expedition. Now, Ms. Woods, your blatant reaction to the beauty behind me shows me that the story that just spewed out of my mouth is pure rubbish." Lex stiffens in response but continues to hold her gaze clear and keep her face placid.

A small disdainful grin hangs on Shaina's lips. "It seems that you know something about these creatures and I believe with your cooperation, the world can be a much safer place once we understand what they are capable of. Not to mention how useful their existence would benefit humanity."

Lex finally release all her anger. "What are you talking about?! These-these MONSTERS are NOT to be trifled with! They are intelligent and bloodthirsty creatures seeking domination of the planet. You cannot set them loose from this place. They will overtake the Earth and kill everything! You must kill them now before it's too late. Especially the queen, she will give birth to so many more of her kind that will find a host and kill them from the inside out!" Lex suddenly freezes as she takes notes of how Shaina is no longer smiling but is rather giving her a deep searching look.

Shaina holds up her tablet and types some sort of message in it before taking a grip of Lex's gaze once more. "I believe you need to see this." She then turns around and walks to the other side of the cavern. Lex follows slowly with her hands reaching inside her pants pocket and she pulls out her gun. The soldiers behind Shaina pays her no heed as the walk behind her. Once they reach the side of the room where there are white-clothed people with red crosses on their shoulders running around in their haste, Lex feels the rest of her terrors coming back to her.

On the floor are soldiers who are either in a deep sleep or their faces obscured by the scorpion-like body that she saw dead earlier at the surface level. Her breaths suddenly come in short gasps and she shakes her head back and forth to throw the image of her past expedition from her mind. Her grip on her gun tightens and she levels it at the patient's head. A couple of the medics see her and screams their panic at her action. Some try to approach her and remove her weapon, but she dodges each one of them and runs forward and fires two bullets into the creature that is on the patient's head and one into his chest.

The patient is dead silent, but the hissing sound of skin decomposing from the body spurs Lex into pushing the hysterical doctors away from the dead patient. "He's dead! Don't touch him or the liquid! It's acid and it will corrode your skin to the bones!" One of the doctors ignores her and stubbornly tries to remove the body from the patient's face and screams in pure anguish as the acid eats away part of her hand.

The rest of the medics corral around her and pulls her away to treat her burn. Lex breaths heavily as she tries to calm herself down from her action. She swiftly looks back at Shaina and finds her to be oddly calm, but her eyes shine with curiosity.

Lex spins back around to the rest of the down soldiers. There are seven people lain on the floor breathing. She cocks her gun once more and aims toward a body with no strange creature on his face. A doctor rushes at her and pushes her to the floor. She lets out a grunt of pain. He yells into her ear, but before he could complete his sentence, the patient that she was about to shoot suddenly woke up with a scream.

The doctor pushes himself off her and he struggles to reach the patient's side. He yells at the other medics to come and help him. The male patient is now screaming uproariously. His body is shaking so hard that he is lifted off the floor. His chest periodically expands before a grotesque creature emerges through the bloody haze. The pain-filled scream is then joined by an ear-splitting screech of the creature. The doctor falls back onto his behind in horror and around him people runs away from the carnage.

The creature hisses before making its escape from the scene. As soon as it leaves the body of its host's side. A giant spear pierces its head and it falls dead beneath the pressure. The person that is gripping the spear is Lex. Her pupils are dilated and her breathing is harsh and violent. She shakes the spear for a good measure before lifting it off the body and shaking the acid away from the tip.

Lex turns to look at the other medics who are looking at her in awe and at their fallen comrades in renewed horror. Her gaze finally meets Shaina who has a surprised expression on her face. Lex pays no more heed to the people around her as she continues to kill off the rest of the infected people.

Once she finished, Lex finds herself to be standing alone with all the soldiers and medic staring at her in astonishment and slight disgust. She closes her eyes and focuses on her breathing once again. Opening her eyes she meets Shaina's eyes dead on. "That is what happens when you let these things loose from their prison." Lex could not say any more as she feels a sharp pinch in her side.

Startled, she looks down to her side and sees a red dart sticking out of her arm. A soft gasp leaves her as she falls slowly to the ground. A pair of soft footsteps approaches her. Someone's hand brushes her curls off her face and her chosen mark shows prominently on her otherwise smooth skin.

"I thank you for your work Lex but let me take it from here. Sweet dreams my dear." And with that Lex knows no more.

 **I'm so sorry I'm a couple hours late! Somethings came up, but here is the update I promised earlier this week! I hope you will enjoy it!~ Leave a review if you would like~ Also remember I owe no sorts of thing here except my made up characters! Enjoy your summer peoples!**

 **REPLIES**

 **Equipagan - I'm so glad that you are enjoying this story! 3**

 **FantasyReader2 - Thank you for reading!**


	5. The Tangled Webs We Weave

**Present Time**

 **3rd POV:**

One would think that the darkness would be a comforting ally when their past moments, in reality, torments them. But what they forget during their peace is that anything can contort into their own obsolete worst fears within the unrelenting whirlpool of nightmares. For Lex, there is no distinction between reality and dreams.

The forever screeching screams of death and the skittering vibrations of numerous claws chases her to wherever place she dares to run to. Her gasps come in heavy pants and the ever powerful drumming sound of her heart keeps in beat with the approaching masses. Despite all the desperate turns and twists that she forces her body to maneuver lithely through, the distance between her and the horde closes in- closer and closer.

She dares to sneak a glance behind her and meets with the inner jaws of death. A huge mass collides into her from the front and she releases a blood-curdling scream of terror and struggles feebly-off a white cotton blanket.

Lex's body jolts upright as she hastily scrambles backward, consequently pushes herself off the mattress and lands heavily on her back. She shakily pushes herself to her feet and looks around disorientedly while attempting to reintroduce herself back to reality. The walls surrounding her are all white except one on her left which reflects her distressed expression on its glassy finish.

Her memories come back to her in a rush of colors and she shakily releases a frustrated breath before treading slowly back to the mattress to sit down. Tears of indistinguishable emotions hang on the edge of her thick eyelashes. Thoughts of betrayal and alien massacres haunt her as she recollects what the Weyland Industry and Yutani were doing below the pyramid. She quickly feels around her body to discover that her weapons were all taken including her gift from the Elder Predator.

Lex mentally berates herself heavily on the fact that she had let her anger dictate her actions. The simple slip had revealed all that she has tried so hard to conceal for the past years. A soft distinctive repetitive tapping noise directs her gaze from the floor to the figure dressed in a short black dress with a long black overcoat.

Shaina smiles primly at the successful eye contact with her prisoner before tapping a microphone that is upon a protruding stand.

"Can you hear me, Lex? Please blink your eyes if you can. I'm quite sorry that this room only has a one-way microphone. But please believe me that I'm only doing this for the benefit of our relationship." Lex resolutely keeps her pace slow and approaches the glass while staring into her dark eyes. Shaina continues on without even a glance at Lex's menacing death glare. "The Weyland Industry has been in decline for sometimes and luckily for them, I was willing to make a handsome proposal to unite our companies together for the benefit of the world." She glances at Lex before her smile stretches wide with white teeth. "You see, the Weyland company has been lying to you. They know of the 'monsters' that you speak of, and yet they still were willing to risk it all for just a minuscule taste of the real thing. Now, this is where my company comes in. We will provide them with efficient resources and facilities if they would give us one rarity of a resource of their own. Now, this slight resource is quite a treasure, because it survived a nuclear explosion from an unknown source." Lex unconsciously stiffens as her mind quickly connect the dots.

Unfortunately for her, Shaina had caught her slight movement.

Shaina chuckles slyly before turning and tapping some buttons on a keypad nearby. "You see, the deal I made was quite expensive. AND-you were part of that deal due to the fact that you are connected to them somehow. But sadly your distaste towards our creation has proven to be more than a slight obstruction to our plan. To this, I have to say my farewells early."

The whirring sound of machinery runs through the speakers as the flooring behind Lex shakes before slowly opening up. But suddenly a cacophony of alarms goes off with the flaring flashes of red lights enveloping the rooms. A huge chromatic cube stops part way from the opening of the floor. Lex looks back at Shaina only to see her yelling into her headset before she quickly runs off with two soldiers following her from their hidden position.

Her expression was an uneasy mixture of anger and fear.

Lex feels her heart creeping up to her throat as she turns to stare back to moving box.

The tingling feeling of being watched suddenly envelops her and she turns around to stare into the empty space across the glass wall. Her fear suddenly envelops her and her thudding heartbeat overtakes her sense of hearing.

Out of the darkness of her mind, a familiar rumbling growl reaches out to her ears. She whips her head to the sound and stares with disbelief as the distortion of light dissipates to reveal a hulking form.

The temperature in the room seems to drop.

From what Lex can see after a couple of seconds of scrutinization, the hunter standing before her is not Scar. He has pale brown skin with contrasting grey stripes and his mask is more of a water-like design with a harsh scar mark from the top right ending towards the mouth. However, the most noticeable things about him are his height and girth. He is at least 7 feet, and yet he is leaner than all the predators that she had seen during her time in the pyramid. He stands before her stoically before tilting his head sideways and she can feel him heavily judging her from head to toe through the thick glass.

His head then jolts to the side and his focus on her averts to something behind her. Lex turns around and her nerves are now on fire as she recognizes the squelching sound of a serpent egg opening. She sneaks a look back at the hunter only to find that he is staring straight back at her. The cube is now moving erratically as the creature inside struggles to escape its second enclosed prison. Lex searches the room frantically for something to defend herself with, before settling on an extremely risky plan when she comes up with nothing.

"Fuck this." Lex mutters before dashing towards the slowly toppling box and forces all her strength and weight onto the top of the box and pushing it downwards where the grasping spider-like appendages are just slipping through. The resounding sound of high pitch of screaming and sprays of acid blood does not stop Lex from repeatedly applying more force each time until the box falls silence as with its movements.

Lex pants heavily from the strain and wipes her head off sweat. Streaks of blood mix with sweat as her hands are cut up by the sharp edges of the cube. She mutters a curse beneath her breath before a soft growl veers her attention back to the predator once more. He is staring back at her with his head tilting to the side in a feline-like manner. After for what feels like eternity, he straightens and gives her a short nod of seeming-approval before his shoulder cannon suddenly powers up and a responding red laser takes aim towards the glass. Lex manages to barely avoid the blast by quickly tossing herself to the sides of the wall. She coughs up trapped air from her lungs before uncurling from her protective position. "Fucker. I don't get why you guys never give a girl a warning."

Lex hears a clanging sound of a metallic object landing beside her and turns to see a small decorated knife on the floor. She reaches out to inspect it closer and delicately feels the rugged handle before looking back at the figure that is cocking his head at her again. "Thank you." She says before getting up and slowly making her way towards him. He looks down at her before reaching out with his hand towards her face before hesitating halfway. She looks at his hand suspiciously and half growls out. "Are we going to go or are we gonna play 'guess my name' with questionable physical movements?" He drops his arm and releases a hiss which makes her jumps at the suddenness of his action. But before she could retort. he pivots away and strides out of sight.

The lights combined with the blaring warning sounds had seemed so far away now comes back as Lex takes in the trail of dead bodies in the direction that the predator had come from. Their gruesome deaths suddenly remind her of her ex-team on Bouvetoya. A loud bark catches her attention and she notices that the predator is actually waiting for her in the hallway ahead. A nostalgic bubbling feeling coils in her stomach before she shakes her head and tensed body to loosen up. She starts on a light jog to catch up to him.

He keeps a fast pace and it isn't even a full ten minutes before Lex hears the sounds of death and gunfire. The predator in front of her growls before he disappears with only a small distortion in the air to reveal his presence. Lex clings closer to the wall and follows just as swiftly with her borrowed knife in front of her welded like a lance.

The hallway leads to a gigantic room with huge running machinery that is splattered with a cacophony of dark reds and luminescent greens. She stops part way from the entrance takes in the chaos.

Human remains and entrails are splayed across the floor and trails of blood end up in a collective pool of mixed liquids. The smell of burnt flesh and chemicals covers up the air almost completely and Lex has to force herself from gagging. She notices her 'partner' has completely forgone his cloak of invisibility and has been raining shots upon on a group of soldiers on the left side of the room while fighting hand-to-hand combat beside another hulking predator.

Lex ducks instinctively against the rain of bullets before releasing a startled yell as she is pulled backward by a bloody hand obstructing her mouth. She viciously struggles before twisting the knife in her hand back to stab the offending body. The person yelps before landing a punch her on the shoulder and sending her backward on her side. In her shock, she releases her grip on her only weapon.

"You fucking bitch! Why Yutani wants you alive, I will never know!" The man approaches her again, but this time Lex can see that he intends to knock her out. She rolls to the side to avoid the blow and lunges towards the knife. A harsh kick to her side makes her lose her breath before a heavy punch to her back lands her on her stomach. The soldier's heavyweight is then on her back. "Someone come over and help me get this bitch under!" Sounds of rushing footsteps make her struggle with the remainder of her dissipating strength.

"HOLY FUCK! LOOK O-!" Loud panicked screams fill the musty air, but then darkness descends and shrill roar swells from above. The weight on her back disappears and she coughs heavily while listening to the cacophony of bullets flying and skins being torn apart. Lex pushes herself onto her arms and turns slowly over to grasp her bruised side with her right arm. She unintentionally looks up to see a ghastly monster.

The creature before her is at least 9 feet with the slithery skinny physique and grisly face of a serpent with the predator mandibles.

'An abomination!' Her mind whispers.

Lex's body is screaming at her as she painfully crawls away from the massacre around her. The abomination spares her no attention as it ravages the offending soldiers that are firing heavily towards it.

Lex scuttles towards a row of broken machinery and pushes herself up on her feet. Feeling slight nausea, she leans on the machinery and trails around its girth to shield herself. Her breaths are coming in heavy pants and she feels her way onto her abdomen. "Only bruised. Nothing's broken. Thank god." She silently breathes out. Lex suddenly stops her bodily search and pushes herself closer to the machinery.

The place is horrifically silent.

There are no longer screams or roars from anywhere.

Lex feels fear tangling its greasy hands upon her as she sneaks a look back the direction she crawled from. The ground is littered with bodies upon bodies and slight acidic steam ate the area in certain locations. There is no familiar trickle of shimmer on the air to signify that the predators are around, nor the scathing hiss of the serpents sleuthing in any nearby hallways.

Lex releases a breath and mentally counts to ten before stepping out into the open space.

On her second step from her hidden spot, the thin wispy hairs on her arms shoot straight up with tension. Lex instinctively freezes in her step and she swiftly maneuvers around the room to scan it from left to right and back. She mentally curses as she takes into account that she is now unarmed and the soldiers' weapons are either too far away or destroyed beyond capable usage.

Suddenly, a drawn-out maleficent hiss reverberates off the walls.

"Oh shit." Lex stares in horror at the abomination that rises up from its coiled position on top of a huge containment box on the far left side of the room. Copious amount of blood gushes from its wounds eat away the side of the containment. The creature has a torn off human limb in its maw and drops it as it takes interest in the human's sudden presence.

Lex stands frozen in time as she watches it slowly slithers down from its high perch and stalks toward her. It smoothly transitions its weight onto its back leg to stand. Piercing eye holes directs attention onto her still form. Her body decides to work again as she takes an involuntarily step backward from fear.

The creature follows with a creep forward.

The approaching beast tilts its head to the side before letting out a combination of high pitched purring and a rattling sound. Its maw opens wide in a horrific resemblance to a smile. Lex spins on the heel of her sole and sprints away. The sense of deja vu envelops her as she navigates through the now dark hallways with extreme dexterity. The ominous halls are suddenly lit up with red warning signals and a loud blaring sound again. The stench of decay leaves her, but the terrible sound of galloping footsteps gaining upon her motivates her to push against her mortal limits. Exhaustedly, she finally sees an opening in the distance after a narrow turn.

Lex releases a yelp of surprise as she suddenly has to stop as a gigantic figure materializes out of thin air in front of her. The being revealed to be a different predator than the one she followed, grabs her shirt and tosses her to the side easily with the momentum that she had gained.

Lex goes flying a distance before landing upon something less harsh than the floor. The sounds of angry inhumane roars spur her into shaking herself from the painful flight and scrambling quickly onto her feet. She finds herself faced with a renewed fascination for the predator as she watches him mercilessly attacking the abomination with an arsenal of weaponry and skill.

The predator maneuvers through the air, quick like an arrow's glide from the quiver. His spear was jabbed viciously into the tail of the predalien as it tries to lunge for him with its tail and front claws. The creature rears back in pain and the predator wastes no time in pushing the advantage and gutting the beast's through the neck. He swiftly leaps away from the spew of acidic blood eruption.

Lex watches in amazement as the predalien struggles to hold itself upright and releases a pain-filled shriek before falling over. Periodic hisses leave the creature's maw before silencing as the predator leans toward it and re-piercing it before finally retrieving the spear from the corpse. The predator shakes its head while releasing a powerful roar. He suddenly turns around and stares directly towards Lex. Finding herself suddenly at the center of attention, Lex becomes unnerved. Thoughts of being slaughtered like her long-dead Antarctic team races in her mind.

A low growl shakes her out of her mind as she then vividly remember the trials that she went through. She did not lay down and surrendered her soul to the unholy offsprings of death. And she will not bow down to one of the species that she dared to call an ally twice. Feeling her resolve swell, she looks right back to the predator and straightens up her being. She flinches slightly as the predator reaches towards his own face to remove the hoses to release the attached mask from his face.

Lex sought out his eyes and her heart froze within her. Sharp, intelligent amber eyes reflect back an intrinsically intimate expression. She slowly leaves his face to stare into his chest where she sees an old scar racing down the center of his chest. His hands suddenly move toward her and she watches with rapt interest as it reaches towards her face before gently brushing stray hairs strands away. Twin crescent marks imprinted upon her face a lifetime ago suddenly burns as it meets the gaze of the silent hunter.

Lex's heart stutters in her chest as the being releases another purr. However the purr was followed with a chopped up, yet deeply ingrained word within her life. Her name.

"Lex".

* * *

I am sooooo sorry for the long writer's block with this story! Here's this chapter with the area steaming up wouldn't you say?~~~ As stated before, I DO NOT OWN these characters! Only the OC's that I made to move the plot along *rubs hands evilly* I have more updates coming so don't panic too much for another long hiatus fellow readers~~~ AND THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND REVIEWING! IT IS REALLY ENCOURAGING 3


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